Fate: False Twilight
by Two Minds One Account
Summary: In the French Countryside houses are the epicenter of gruesome murders and then Command Seals begin to form on the hands of Mages. Encounter the Holy Grail War and the souls that have their fates intertwined with one another. Rated M for Violence and suggestive themes.
1. Prologue part 1

"Of course," A man said on his phone as he stepped out of his rental car. The French landscape stretched out for miles around him as he looked around gauging the sheer seclusion of this place. He thought of how hard it must have been searching for this place, much less knowing what back roads to initially get here. He listened too the voice on the other end of the phone feeling the midnight breeze blow across the fields unimpeded from any sort of building or trees. The voice came too a stop and the man silently looked at the single story cabin before him. "I will report my findings too you and follow the standard operating procedure. Farewell sir."

The man hung up the phone, reached into his long black coat, pulled out his lighter and some cigarettes, then plucked one out of the pack and lit it. He took a long drag putting away the rest while dragging out a small book into his hands. He walked up too the picket fence gate, took a deep inhale, squatted down before the handle and blew a massive cloud of smoke at the gate. He saw the smoke climb up an invisible barrier just behind the gate and it illuminated many individual almost blade like wedges. The man repeated the process but on his second exhale he flicked the cigarette halfway through the torrent of smoke leaving his lungs in mouth. The smoke came too life as suddenly all the wedges jerked and spun for the cigarette, shredded the half cigarette into small slivers, "If I stuck my hand past the barrier it would have been cut away. So…"

The man reached back into his coat and grabbed a few vials from his right side. He placed them meticulously in order before him and next to his leather bound book. He reached behind him and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe from a bag he keeps behind his long coat followed by a handful of garlic, fennel leaves, holly, yarrow, and rosemary. Finally he set out a copper bowl before him, "Right."

The man opened his book and started a chant out loud as he took the mistletoe and placed it gently into the bowl. His next process was opening up a vial of red clay that he used to blow all over the gate. Next, his favorite part because he loved the smell of rosemary, he grabbed the rosemary and crushed it up over the mistletoe in the bowl till it was dust in his hands. The man drew a knife and cut a little bit of his hair then tossed it into the bowl.

The wind came to a stop but the man kept working as he placed the yarrow and holly into the bowl. He picked up the second vial and poured the contents into the bowl then whispered a magical spell, "Brenna."

The bowl erupted into a blue flame that burned brightly before it died down to a kindling flame. The man mashed up the garlic and fennel then tossed them in causing the makeshift pot to burn hotter then died down once more. He waited a few more seconds as the mistletoe burned before adding the final vial of an extract of horehound oil causing the bowl to instantly burn the contents to a black tar but the fire kept burning as his creation was a success. The man slid the bowl towards the gate and the smoke coming from the blue fire cleared a path for him to walk through.

The man stood up and repeated the process earlier with his cigarette finding a man sized hole for him to slide through. He stepped over the burning fire and walked over to the front door. The man reached into the left side of his coat and pulled out a corn husk doll and a object that looked like a stick with feathers and some mistletoe hanging off of it. The man traced the doorway with his stick finding it vibrating the whole time, a bad omen. He held the doll up to his lips and whispered too it in Icelandic after rubbing a balm of bay leaves and frankincense onto the doll.

The man put the doll onto the ground and took one step back as the doll sat up then stood in it's feet waiting for orders. The man kept waving the stick around the windows feeling each one vibrate the stick continually meaning something malevolent was on the other side till he came too one of the basement windows. He reached back into his coat heading for a special lining seam in his collar. He pulled out some belladonna knowing full well the properties of it he placed the plant into his mouth and began chewing. As he chewed on the leaf number his tongue was the first part of him to grow numb and once or twice he felt his teeth bite down on his tongue further spreading the effects of the plant. He reached for the doll and spat a little of the plant onto his index finger then rubbed the paste like substance on the doll's head where the eyes are supposed to be. He placed the doll back down, leaned on the house, then swallowed the Belladonna.

The man's eyes faded black almost instantly and he felt his own soul leave his body and shrink as it entered the doll's body. His vision came back but the first thing his sight saw was his dress shoes and gray pants legs going too his blue button up shirt, black tie and gray jacket. The man in the doll's body climbed up his cotton button up and pushed his head back. He paused and chuckled through his mouth of his actual body when he realized that his lack of shaving for the past two days has had his thin moustache grow back a bit on his upper lip and the rest of his face. The doll version of him forced his own mouth open in case of his body wanting to vomit back up the Belladonna. The man turned the doll's body away and towards the window. He growled in aggravation as he forgot to open up the window so he had to push it open with the doll's frail body.

After fifteen minutes of struggling with the window he finally managed to force it open enough for him to squeeze the straw doll's body through. The man dove into the darkness and he waited for his eyes to adjust too the area around him. He stood there looking around the basement taking in the environment, it was a standard basement, where was the danger that his talisman picked up? The man went for the stairs and he heard a stone on stone grind off to his right, only when he turned did he finally see what the danger was. In each corner of the room sat stone familiar crafted into the shape of dogs with purple glowing runes on their heads. The doll must not have been a trigger for them as the stone familiar only six feet away from him kept the purple faced rune aimed at the window he climbed away from it as he saw it was ready to attack.

He made the doll climb up step by step till he got to a thankfully open door too the basement, probably to allow for the elemental familiar to ambush however he got into the house. The doll walked through the threshold of the hallway and he froze again as standing at either end of the hallway entryways were more familiar each facing the main door too the house. The doll continued towards the front door and he found tucked away at each corner of the door were Runes each inscribed to erupt in an explosive fireball the moment something passed them. He stood there for a second realizing how much precautions for him to get inside was set up so he focused on his body once more. He felt the link with the doll give way then finally sever as he furiously blinked his eyes, rolled to his side, and force himself to vomit up the plant.

The man pushed himself off the ground and began to move back too the car. The man reached into his coat once more this time for his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he got to Jason Kaur and dialed it up. He heard the ringing go through his ear piece so he put away his phone when he got too his car. The man fished out his keys as Jason answered the phone, "Sitrep?"

"Yeah," The man spoke as he opened the back of his car and grabbed a long case. He put it off too the side of the vehicle and took off his coat revealing a cross harness covered in vials, pouches, and hanging on either side of his sides were two Sigs. "This is the third house that is heavily defended on the inside, so I am expecting the results to be the same."

"You preparing for a breach Hebert," Jason asked with a very stoic tone. Herbert knew that meant he was worried for the French police detective.

"Yes sir," Hebert said as he opened up the case and inside was an ammo harness and his FAMAS G2. Hebert put the new harness over his shoulder strap harness, he clipped in and adjusted his gear according to how he needed to move before picking up his rifle. He slide the bolt back, grabbed the free magazine inside his gun case, slapped it home, and let the bolt chamber a five five six round. "Enemy familiar are all inside the building, we might not want the French involved with this."

"Copy," there was a pause in Kaur's voice before he spoke again. "Charles, do you got this?"

"Are you going to make a French joke," Hebert chuckled into the line.

"Maybe, if the situation warranted one," Kaur left a nervous chuckle. "I will inform the Mage association, you be careful, remember what happened to Yaquis and Tobin on the first house."

"How can I not," Hebert grumbled as he saw the photos of the two agents tore to shreds by the dogs. "Going now, I will call you back when I clear the house."

Hebert heard the other line close off so he sighed and begun to make his game plan. He recalled the four elementals in the basement and the two others in the entry hallway so it is safe to assume that there are more in the house. Hebert went to the back of the car and opened up the trunk and inside was a straw doll with the same size and dimensions as him. He repeated the same process as with the smaller straw doll but this time gave the doll more of the balm and stuffed actual bay leaves into it's head. The Doll came to life once more and it climbed out of the trunk like a human being without elbows and knees, the joints rotating as if it wasn't made of tangible straw. The body rotated each limb till it was standing straight up behind him as a looking figure encasing Hebert with a shadow.

"Alright," Herbert said and he looked at the door. He took aim at the door way and he flipped the safety off. Just as he did that his smaller doll on the inside of the building erupted into a ball of blue flame and dove at the runes activating them. In a flash of orange and blue fires the door too the house blew up and standing in the doorway was two humanoid forms with three glowing purple eyes.

The first form sprinted at Herbert with inhuman speed and awkwardness as the stone joints rolled in a flailing motion. The second panned off left then made a wide arc coming around too Herbert's exposed flank. Herbert squeezed his FAMAS' trigger sending a volley of armor piercing bullets into the stone humanoid familiar before him. The familiar was struck with each bullet and it swung around keeping it's head facing him but it's torso tried to repair itself. Herbert took the hint and squeezed off four more three round bursts striking it's torso twice, it's shoulder ounce, and it's head once. The familiar stumbled and then broke apart as the seal was destroyed.

Herbert looked too his left seeing the familiar leap and thrust a jagged limb towards Hebert. With little worry Herbert stood his ground as his straw doll stood between them and into the path of the arm. The doll physically hardened itself using Hebert's magic to make itself harder than stone. The stone familiar's arm bounced off of the straw doll and it rotated it's body sending another futile strike at the doll. Each strike that missed or reflected off the straw doll the familiar used to strike by rotating it's body like a weapon designed perfectly to kill. Herbert wanted to watch longer but the scampering of stone on wood caught his attention once more. The four dog like familiars came climbing out of the doorway looking around for what the source of the commotion was. Herbert took aim when the dogs looked at him then started a charge. Two of them took their positions moving for flanks while the first two came charging at him.

Herbert dropped to one knee and leaned into the next two bursts as each round crumpled away the stone familiar. Hebert watched as the familiar rotated it's body parts as they were damaged protecting the rune atop it's head. He switched to single round bursts and began focusing fire onto the rune, eventually destroying it at his last two rounds of his magazine. Hebert had to move fast as he saw the three dogs closing in on him. He dropped the magazine from his FAMAS not bothering with collecting it he reached into his ammo vest pulled out a new magazine and a vial full of water. He reloaded his FAMAS, uncorked the vial, and thrust the vial at a stone familiar leaping through the air. The water left the vial and in a split second, visible blue lines shown through Herbert's skin on his hand, and as the water splashed onto the stone familiar the moisture in the air seemed to flock towards the water. Herbert got up in a brisk jog while pulling the hammer back on his FAMAS. He brought the barrel to the direction of the next oncoming familiar. He flipped the firing style to fully automatic and squeezed the trigger completely obliterating the head and rune of the familiar.

Herbert dropped his magazine and fumbled for the next one watching as the familiar he threw water on was freezing in place by the moisture in the air. He was inserting the magazine when he felt a heavy weight slam into him from behind. He fell forwards causing the rifle and the magazine to go flying into the tall grass around him. A series of white hot burning pain shot through his back and Herbert cried out in pain. He tried to wrestle the familiar tearing into his back off but the solid stone familiar didn't relent. Herbert cried out once again as a solid piece of stone stabbed him into his side while two more dug into his back. He cried out in pain as the familiar put more pressure into his side and he began to try to think of a way out of this mess. A quick rustle caught his attention and he saw the grass part too his straw doll. The doll exploded into a controlled but wide spread out semicircle then flew out of sight for a brief second before the pressure was gone from his back and he roared in agony as the familiar's claws were pulled from his side.

Herbert cried out in pain as he felt weak, his body was becoming heavy and blood began to pool around him like a puddle of hot water. He started to sit up and the ammo vest slid off his body along with most of his button up shirt, both were soaked in blood. A heavy thumping caught his attention and he saw the humanoid familiar his doll was taking care of, now flopping around like a snakehead fish out of water coming at him. The damage his doll must have done was obviously superficial as the original body was shrunk down to around a four foot tall child, but what was left was a flailing weapon of jagged rocks.

Herbert drew one of his pistols and pushed himself to get moving. He staggered forwards looking at his car before him and he thought of using it for cover, but what he really needed was to patch up his wounds before he bled out. He looked at the Humanoid familiar behind him and he saw it was still rolling around at the same distance so if he kept his pace he could get too the car before it. He looked forwards and kept limping before whispering, "Bidh sinnsirean a 'toirt mo dhraoidheachd dhomh."

"Mo dhìonair, cuir leigheas air mo lotan agus cuir mo chorp còmhla riut fhèin," Herbert called out as he stumbled closer and closer too the car. He felt a tickling sensation crawl up his back from his beltline and around his side. He looked down to see moss spreading across his body and into his wounds. Under the covered part of the moss his body began to feel warm and comfortable to the point it distracted him. He heard a heavy thud behind him steering his attention back too the Humanoid familiar only so see it was gone. Dirt rained down onto his head and behind him a loud crescendo of glass, metal, and stone steered his attention back to the car. The ruined hulk of his vehicle sat under the writhing body of the familiar as it twisted it's body to face Herbert. He raised his pistol and squeezed five rounds off into the familiar and watched as the smaller caliber rounds only chipped the stone.

The familiar leapt from the car and tackled Herbert to the ground and stabbed into his stomach with a sharp pointed arm. Herbert cried out in pain and tried to raise his gun to the rune positioned on the familiar but it moved faster stabbing him in his arm. He cried out in pain once more looking at his hand. His cries stopped when he saw the moss violently crawl up his arm wrapping itself around his injury then spread too the familiar. The stone became brittle and broke off when the familiar tried to pull itself back. The moss turned into lichen as it quickly spread up the appendage of the familiar eating away the familiar's body. It fell back off of his body and tried to roll away failing as the second limb that was stabbed into Herbert was so brittle it blew up under it's weight and the body began to fall apart, then stopped moving entirely when the rune crumpled away.

Hebert laid their for a few seconds as he watched the moss begin to cover his body more and more. He looked to see plants known for their healing and disinfecting properties grow around him and in the moss. He groaned in pain as the feeling of roots spread into his wounds and use some unseen material to start closing up his internal injuries. Herbert stood up in agony then stumbled, nearly falling twice, over too his wrecked car, but more importantly a photo on the ground. He fell face first into the dirt next too the photo, the growing moss seemed to know what he wanted as it grew out too the photo and pulled the laminated image of a young blonde girl towards him.

Hebert heard a loud breaking sound near him. He looked up to see the straw doll standing over him taking vigil and he smiled. He closed his eyes and thought of the little girl, "Don't worry baby, I am going to see you soon, I promise."

He opened his eyes a few minutes later as the moss was encroaching his vision and wrist of his right hand laying on the ground before the photo and he swore through the pain he felt a distinct burning pain on his hand as his eyes played tricks on him as he thought he saw a small circle appear on his hand followed to what looked to be for jagged forms that resemble flower petals grow around it.

Herbert groaned as the world went dark and the moss finally covered his vision and the world went dark and a female voice whispered into his ear, "The fight for her."


	2. Prologue part 2

Jason Kaur adjusted his vest to his pullet proof vest over his pin stripe button up. He looked at the three other men sitting in the back of the VXB-170 each decked out in heavy armor. His gaze turned to his smart watch displaying their GPS position compared to their target. He grabbed his HK 416, slid back the slide to check the chamber, and then looked back to his watch once again in a bout of nervous ticks. He frowned recalling the past eight hours. After not receiving a call from his friend about his investigation in the rural country side of France on a case of weird murders Jason pulled some strings with the local Mage association members, gathered up some French police officers that were also working for the Mage association, then high tailed it out too Charles Herbert's location that they picked up by his phone.

"Mon duie," the driver said as he came too a sudden stop. "Monsieur Kaur, there is uh… a large thicket up ahead."

Jason brought his eyebrows together with confusion as the known landscape is supposed to be free of any hedges or trees. He stood up and peered out the front window of the VXB 170 to see that it was much larger than a thicket before them, no before them was something far more jaw dropping, before them was a grove of Hazel, Yew, and in the center was one Rowan tree. This grove covered what Jason would describe as two acres worth of land and they were so densely packed is looked impossible for the armored vehicle to safely move into the thicket, "Christ Charles, why didn't you call me for back up?"

"What was that Monsieur," the driver said looking at Jason with a confused expression.

"Sergeant I need you and your men to disembark here," Jason said walking over too the vehicle's door. He opened it and looked at the men. "I will brief you outside on what we are looking at."

Jason stepped out and looked at the sheer size of the thicket with admiration as this is the third time he has seen it in person and this is the largest he has ever seen it. Jason looked over his shoulder at the five men that got out of the vehicle and he tucked his carbine into his chest, "Gentlemen, what you are starting at is what you should consider hell on Earth, should you get near. That is a rare form of magic these days passed on through the family crest of Druids. I will lay out the ground rules for you, especially if you want to live for sun rise in four hours."

Jason looked at their confused faces and sighed, "One, do not understand any circumstances approach that thicket, the maximum distance before it reacts is ten meters, judging by the Yew trees it would gas you with poisonous spores, trust me I have seen it happen."

"Wait are you saying that thing is alive," A man barked out with fear in his voice. "We should burn it down then!"

"No," Jason barked out of instinctual fear. "TRUST ME, you don't want to get anywhere close with fire. Yes that thing is alive, it is an Ent Familiar, an ancient familiar you don't want to mess with. That is Charles' guardian and it will pull out an unbelievable arsenal of defenses to prevent you from even getting near Charles unless it recognizes your family crest. Three things to remember, Don't touch it, Don't approach it, and God's forbid Don't you dare harm it or Charles."

"Now you will keep a maximum of fifteen meters between you and the thicket as you all look for the house," Jason let his HK416 hang as he rolled up his left hand sleeve and let his family crest appeared before them. "I am going to go find Charles."

Jason approached the giant menacing thicket and as he got closer he saw the Hazel and Yew branches pulsate once, twice, then they opened up to a tunnel of branches moving out of his way guiding him towards something. He paused and looked at the branches and he saw the Ent had buckled down for a defense he has never seen before, hundreds of vines were intertwined with the branches and the vines were covered in abnormally sharp thorns. As he traveled about a meter and a half in he saw the destructive power of these vines as there was a poor rat squeezed to death in the vines. Jason came to an opening where the trees let up and in the center was a destroyed car covered in all forms of moss and lichen and a Straw man. The Straw doll turned as Jason approached it and Jason recognized it as Charles' common familiar. The Straw doll walked away and stood at the base of the Rowan tree. Jason looked at the base of the Rowan tree and the roots began to part way for a moss covered form laying on the ground, "Charles!"

As soon as Jason knelt down he froze in place as he saw the Rowan tree grow a weird formation on the side of it and it closely resembled a face. Jason held up both of his hands and held up the crest to the tree realizing the Ent just showed something that it has never done before and this made him nearly shit himself out of fear.

A noise jostled him from his fear and he looked down to Charles being revealed from his moss cast. There was eight fresh pink scars on his back and one puncture wound where his liver would be. He knew the Ent probably repaired everything vital that was damaged but the wounds are ridiculous, he should have called for help, no, Jason should have came to help him regardless of what he would have said. Charles moaned once more as he barely opened his eyes, "Stop looking at me as if I am dying."

"You might as well have if you didn't have this guardian angel watching over you," Jason growled at his friend as he waited for Charles to sit up. "Jesus I should have been here."

"Yeah well," Charles Herbert sat up with bits of moss clinging too him. He looked up and was in awe of the defenses his Ent set up and then paused at the almost human like face it forced into the bark of the tree. "He has never done anything this big, nor made a face in the tree."

"Almost reminds me of your adoptive family's Ents," Jason chuckled as he stood up and offered his hand to Charles. He sat there thinking of the Larnach family up in North Scotland and Charles' adoptive family that gave him their family crest and the defective Ent that he has. "Cmon let's get you up and telling your Ent to go back to sleep before it drains you dry of magic."

"Right," Charles stood up with the assistance of Jason. He rolled his shoulders and Jason watched as the man extended his hand too the Rowan tree. The tree grew a small twig out of the side of the tree and when it was done growing the twig looked like a walking stick about a third of a meter long. The Ent climbed up Herbert's arm and came to rest in between his shoulder blades where it slid into a hole in his back. Jason felt a leaf fall on his shoulder and he looked up at the Rowan tree as the leaves browned and fell. He watched as the tree went through an entire fall and winter cycle before withering away into dust. "Hey Jason, hate to ask but, got any extra clothes?"

"Yeah in the truck," Jason nodded too the withering hazel and yew plants as they revealed the truck they came in on. "Get dressed and meet me inside the house, and pray we don't find what you have on the last two houses."

Jason watched his friend walk through the collapsing grove that was generated from his Mana and the Ent combined. He stood there for a few minutes just thinking of how Charles Herbert could easily become an unstoppable villain, should the situation arises. He stood there for a few more seconds before turning away and making it towards the house. Jason watched as the French officers entered the building two to a stack and begun their sweep. Within a few minutes Charles has caught up and the lead French officers came out, "We found nothing, the house looks perfect."

Jason frowned then turned to Charles whom carried the same expression but still looking at the French Officers, "The living room?"

"Nothing," The officer scratched the back of his head. "It looks like the family left the place looking immaculate."

"May I look," Charles asked with a tone that bled doubt. Jason un-clipped his side arm casually as he knew all too well that when Charles had doubt in his voice, something was wrong.

The French Officers stepped too the side and Charles lead the advance into the living room and the Officer was right, the room looked perfect, but too Jason's eyes too perfect. He walked over too the wall where the headlights of the VXB-170 shown through the shadows looked all wrong, like they were being seen through a filter. Jason placed his hand on the wall and he suddenly realized Charles was right to doubt the view of reality as Jason was looking at his hand resting slightly through the wall, "Charles, illusionary magic."

"Look for something out of the ordinary," Charles said as he started to scour the liquor cabinet looking for something. "A rune most likely, the familiar I fought had a few on their heads."

"Runes," Jason started his own search of a dresser. He rattled item by item looking for a rune of some unknown descent. "What kind of runes, Gaelic, Icelandic, Slavic?"

"Kind of hard for me to know when they were trying to kill me so I had to destroy them before investigating them," Charles moved on too the TV stand. "All I can recall is they glowed purple."

"Well that is a lot of help," Jason got too the bookshelf and the first book he removed showed him a purple glowing mark on the back of the bookshelf. "Charles, I think I found it. Help me tilt this."

Charles came walking over and tripped on the rug halfway through the room. He caught himself then placed both hands on the bookshelf. The two of them grabbed hold of the wooden bookshelf, counted to three, then tilt the wooden shelves forwards throwing all the books and ornaments on to the ground revealing a giant Norwegian rune. Jason drew his pistol and slammed it against the rune breaking it apart and within seconds tranquility lane disappeared into nightmares of another world. The illusion faded away as if a flame was put against it revealing words written in a dried crimson, "Blood."

Jason looked down too the ground and his stomach dropped as the bodies began to appear. He looked at the overly ritualistic nature of the killing before them. Jason frowned and he looked at the center of the room where five heads sat with their mouths open and stones forced into their mouths. The scene was so grizzly Charles looked away and moved toward the window, "They are children."

"Yes," Jason stepped over a dismembered torso and was careful not to touch anything or smear the runes pained in blood across the ground. "Ancient Gaul writing, human sacrifice, the common five body set up as the last murder rituals. They came through here again."

"But they used children for this one," Charles growled. "Why, what purpose did this give them."

"I wish I had the answer to this," Jason looked at each head and noticed they were all facing north. He dug into his back pocket and drew out a leather bound book, a pen, and he looked at the compass on his watch. The arrow on his compass pointed to north, and each head was facing true north. He looked over his shoulder at Charles and he frowned. "Charles you alright?"

"I think I am feeling ill," Charles spoke not looking away from his corner.

"Want to talk about it," Jason said as he looked back too his note book. He started to recreate the words in his notebook then the placement of the heads, then a rough drawing of the ritual itself.

"I am just thinking of my kids," Charles mumbled. "Those bodies, they look about seven to eight years old, the same age as Amalie and Victor, and how I just want them to be normal and live a normal life."

Jason paused from his drawing and closed the book around his pen. Charles rarely mentions his on the job so what happened her must have rattled him. He looked over his shoulder and at the blonde haired man. He opened his mouth to say something but his words were stopped dead in their tracks when he spotted red markings on Charles' right hand, "Charles, what is that?"

Charles looked down at his hand with confusion he tried to think of what was on his hand. Jason stood up and walked over too his friend as his stomach turned as they both knew what it was, Command Seals. Jason looked at Charles with his jade green eyes and then back down too the Command Seals. The Command Seals crimson color stood out on his hand and the design was that of what he would call an over stylized Gothic Bow and Arrow. Jason looked back to his friend's fear fill eyes and he cleared his throat, "The Grail has deemed you worthy, we have to tell the Mage's Association about this, we are going to prepare you for this war and you will win my friend."

Charles said nothing as he looked at his hand then Jason, and the man couldn't tell what was going through his mind, but whatever it was, Jason would never know.


	3. Chapter 1

Her jade eyes opened too the overly annoying shrill of her phone's alarm set to wake her up. She reached over too her night stand reaching for her phone in a drowsy haze she knocked over a picture frame and a few other items including her phone. She grumbled and threw the covers off of her body causing the sharp cold air of the room to wash over her body like a tidal wave causing her to swear once more. She threw her legs over the side of her bed causing her to moan in shock as the marble floor shot cold chills up her legs. The young woman quickly shuffled over to her phone and turned off the alarm only to look at twelve text messages in her notifications. She sighed and saw a voicemail from her father, so she played it on speaker phone and turned on the light on her night stand to start getting dressed as his voice came through with an excited but worried tone, "Sienna, I am sorry I know I left on short notice but my trip too France just got far more complicated than I would ever dream of."

"Like always," Sienna mumbled as she walked over too her bathroom and turned on the light. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her green eyes looked at her face and she walked up too the mirror to inspect the fat lip she had and bruised cheek with a split in it. "Man could he punch."

"Sienna I must tell you this," His voice trembled for a second but the tone fell deaf on her ears. "Never mind. Don't get into any fights while we are gone, the Kaur name doesn't need any trouble in the next couple weeks. Don't give your older brothers any trouble, and please listen too your mother while I am gone."

"Yes daddy I will be a good girl," Sienna cracked her neck as she spoke sarcastically. "Keeping face is what us Kaurs do, gotta look good for the Mage's Association, like they fucking matter, OW!"

Sienna looked at her torn and bruised knuckles with a pained expression she inspected her injuries all over her body from the night before. The voice mail cut out as she looked at the bruised side and chest from the body blows she took then her purple knee from kneeing a guy in the jaw. She rolled her joints and started up the shower. Sienna walked over too her phone and unlocked it reading texts from her father apologizing for leaving in the night, and from her friends about the scuffle she had at the bar and checking if she was alright. Sienna texted them that she was fine and just a little sore from the night.

Sienna continued with everyone's daily ritual of showering, brushing her teeth, combing her hair, but skipping the makeup route, to her it's a pointless chore just to cover up yourself to be fake, and hated fakes. Sienna finished slipping on her uniform's pants when there was a knock on the door too her room, "Sienna it's Thomas, may I enter?"

"Just a few seconds for me to get my shirt on," Sienna chuckled as she finished buttoning up her shirt then tucked it in. "Alright Thomas, come in but I don't want a scolding."

The door opened too an elderly man walking in wearing a suit and an unbelievably large beard that has been delicately trimmed and maintained to keep it's fullness. He carried a tray with coffee ham and eggs, and some muffins. "Now why would I do that other than the fact that I let you in late last night with you covered in blood?"

"You are a cruel man Mister Neelam," Sienna chuckled as she watched the family Butler walk over too her desk in her room and put down the tray.

"Well I have to be cruel to you and your brother Lukas," Thomas chuckled as he turned too Sienna with a sigh. He walked over and touched her chin making a wince come from Sienna's face. "At least put on some foundation, don't worry your mother, you know her heart is weak."

"I was planning on sneaking out before she noticed," Sienna said as she looked away from the old man's brown eyes. "Plus you know me and make up."

"Yes and it confuses me if you are more man than woman," Thomas grabbed Sienna's knuckles and sighed as he traced his leathery fingers over her knuckles. "You have been making yourself more a person than your father let's on my dear, just like Lukas."

"And this is where you say," Sienna tried her hardest to drop her voice. "'Sienna my dear, you should learn to listen to your father.'"

"Actually this is where I stupefy you with my impromptu response of," Thomas smiled and chuckled as he put his right hand on Sienna's uninjured side of her face. "I am proud of you."

Sienna felt her heart sputter as the words warmed her heart. He smiled and patted her cheek, "Gotcha. Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold, don't stain your dress and I will inform master Lukas that you will be leaving the exact moment you two have to go too the academy. Don't worry about Reece, Malcom, your mother, or the maid staff, I will make sure they are other wise indisposed."

Sienna watched Thomas leave the room and she scoffed as the man caught her by complete surprise. She smiled as the feeling of the pain in her injuries seemed to wash away as she was in absolute bliss. Sienna sat down at her desk and quickly started to eat her breakfast while in the process of trying up her hair. She heard a tap on her window and when she looked outside she saw a man standing in a similar school uniform as her leaning on the side of his Rolls-Royce Phantom. Sienna smiled at her brother as he was looking at his watch then up too her at her window tapping his watch. She held up one finger to tell him to wait before she made her way towards her room.

Sienna slipped out of her room and threw the single strap too her backpack over her shoulder as she crept down the hall. She looked down the grand staircase too the wooden doors at the foot left ajar. Sienna waited a few seconds and finally she saw her eldest brother walking towards the dining hall. His cold green eyes thankfully didn't catch Sienna as he walked by the staircase. Behind her eldest brother followed one of the maids as she carried his coat and Emerald capped cane. Sienna waited a few more seconds as the two entered the room leaving Sienna alone on the staircase.

Sienna sighed and made her way too the center of the staircase looking down at the first floor's marble floor's and extravagant furnishings that are far older than her father is. She thought for a few seconds on how to get outside without anyone noticing her due too her injuries and it came easily too mind, she will break some more house rules about using magic in the house. Sienna took a deep inhale and focused on her body and making it a light as a feather. Sienna opened her eyes and took off running. When she jumped off of the marble steps her body went floating through the air with the same haste she jumped off the staircase with. She smiled as she had full control of the air around her making it seem like she was a feather falling in the wind. She landed by the open door and quickly slipped outside to the warm spring air.

The Rolls-Royce roared too life as Sienna came running over too the black and white trimmed coupe. She threw her bag into the back and jumped over the door into the passenger seat before looking over too her brother Lukas in the driver seat, "Hey."

"You are late," Lukas flipped the car into drive then took off making the wind blast back his black hair. "You look great considering you got bruises all across your face, no doubt you won the fight last night?"

"Yep," Sienna grabbed her black hair as it went wild with the wind, blowing out of the pony tail she had tied up earlier.

"Good," Lukas chuckled as he took a turn pretty hard causing the vehicle to squeal in protest. "Any plans tonight my dear little sister?"

Sienna looked over too her brother with a brimming smile as she knew what he was asking, if she was planning on getting into trouble. She shook her head and let her hair flow behind her as the road stretched on in front of them, "Sorry Lukas, I was actually thinking on taking it easy tonight. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Lukas spoke over the pounding wind as he passed a semi on the side of the road. "I just found a new spot, and I was wondering if you wanted to watch me get the crap kicked out of me in the ring."

"As much as I love violence like the next gal," Sienna looked back at her brother's large frame, or specifically his bruised and perminantly darkened patches of skin on his knuckles representing his love for bare knuckle boxing. "I don't like seeing my best brother and best friend a heaping pile of blood and broken bones."

"Ok I am not going to take that as offense too my combat skills," Lukas chuckled as he sped up the car making the other vehicles pass by them like a blur. "Nor will I take the irony etched into your face right now, I was just asking if you wanted to potentially make some poor sob that might be down on his luck bet on the opponent of a guy that has won many matches in our lovely London underground fighting rings, maybe get him out of his slump."

Sienna looked at her brother's smile and caught wind of what he was saying. Lukas wasn't a prideful man so he is notorious for doing something shady in order to help other people. Sienna chuckled and leaned back in the seat looking at her brother, "And you know this specific story how?"

"Well I have been watching the fights every Tuesday night and there is one particular gentleman that stands out every time I see him," Lukas smiled and held up one finger as he started to explain himself. "I quickly found out his name is Gorman, a father of six who is also a widower as his wife passed away to cancer. Well turns out he comes too these betting rings in hopes of winning a decent chunk of change to help pay the bills and debts accumulated. Now I am not saying that it's right blowing a hundred pounds on gambling, but I am purposing you work your magic and reverse pickpocket a gambling ticket into his pocket and I take a dive on a ten too one bet."

"You realize that could backfire with the local gangs around town," Sienna loved the idea of helping out someone in need but if their plan goes down well this man will need to be protected from would be robbers, debt collectors, and enraged betters. "What is your plan for the after effects?"

"Well we have need for another landscaper," Lukas said as he zipped past a semi. Sienna smiled from ear to ear as she saw the look nearly beaming from his eyes. "So we double down on his good fortune, I come too him with a Geas scroll disguised as a contract making it so I have to protect him from any harm, then we move his family into the guest house and BOOM, the life and lively hood of seven people is protected!"

Sienna sat there for a few seconds dumbfounded by the idea of forcing a Geas contract on himself to protect someone, but then again Lukas isn't thinking about his well being, he is thinking about the well being of six kids and a father. Sienna started to laugh loudly and she covered her eyes as this crazy idea will work, and Lukas might pull it off, "Goodness I am just outwardly surprised, I am in Lukas, all my chips are down on this hair brained scheme."

"Its not really hair brained," Lukas scratched the side of his cheek with a playful bashfulness. "Its all for the children."

"You know if you had less of a Chad look I would believe you," Sienna chuckled looking out too the school coming up before them. "But you look more like Joesph Joestar everyday, so now I can't believe you."

"We'll look who is Sherlock Holmes reincarnated," Lukas said as he took the turn off too the Mage Association school. "Well riddle me this misses Holmes, what has two legs, an amazing brother, and is early for class?"

"Haha your funny Watson," Sienna chuckled as she unbuckled her seat belt and waited for the car to come too a stop before opening the passenger door. She stepped out onto the concrete and instantly her smile disappeared when she heard the laughter of some of the most fake people in the world around her. She turned to see her brother buttoning up his jacket then adjust his tie. "Cant we just play hookie?"

"Should have asked that while we were on the road," Lukas asked as he grabbed his backpack then came too her side. The earlier statement of him looking like the JoJo's character wasn't an exaggeration as he stood a solid six feet and eight inches tall and built sturdier than a brick shithouse, Lukas was definitely a monster of physical prowess. "Because I would have spent a day with you, but the gargoyles saw us and knowing your classmates and how most of them are bitches, they would rat you out in a heartbeat. Plus it's men's physical exam day so I would have come anyways."

"Meathead," Sienna smirked as she grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. "So, see yah during lunch or- why are you spacing off, it's not like you?"

Sienna frowned and looked to where his eyes were glaring at. It was one of the many sources of hate that she has for the school. Violet Torrens and her entourage of eight fake waste of air we're surrounding a set of cherry blonde twin girls. Sienna glared at Violet Torrens with the utmost distaste as the definition of corrupt lineage of mages. Sienna recognized the twins as Samantha and Emily Kay, two second generation mages and instantly Sienna knew what the gaggle of retards we're going to do. Sienna threw her bag into the back of the Rolls-Royce and started for the pack, and too her surprise her brother kept pace.

As Sienna approached her eyes drifted too a fellow class member stuffing his helmet into a leather pouch of his motorcycle. She ignored much of him other than knowing that he looked familiar. As she got at the halfway mark there was a grunt of pain and Emily cried out for her sister. Sienna saw the defiant sister had bee beaten and her head was being pushed down with Violet's shoe while the young woman was on a monologue of some sorts, "-ith you licking superior families boots! Your name means nothing, so you are nothing!"

"Violet," a lackey said in the group distracting Violet from her monologue and Sienna watched as the woman looked over too Sienna and Lukas approaching them. "Its Lukas and Sienna…"

"More worthless ruffians," Violet took her foot off of Samantha's head and turned too Sienna.

"By your logic," a voice came behind Sienna that made her head look over her shoulder too a man of the same build as her brother but shorter by three or four inches stood behind her and the atmosphere changed from that of Sienna going to kick some ass, too everyone taking a step away from the man with feeling of dread surrounding them. The man's eyes glared at Violet with something more terrorizing than anger, a glare that made the woman take a step back and swallow her fear as if it was a liquid. "Either you are blind deaf and a moron, or your logic is flawed and you are using that as a reason to pick on others while being a coward and hiding behind your pathetic goons. Either way, I recommend you get going to class before your precious glass house becomes ground into sand."

Sienna stared right at the man with her jaw slightly open as the man's motorcycle jacket came off and he tossed it into his bike. His almost black eyes never left Violet's and the name finally came too Sienna, Magnus Habiger, one of the strongest students in the academy and one person no one messes with. Most of the party took some steps back and parted the sea of bodies leaving Violet in Magnus' path with her eyes wide. Sienna didn't have a chance to see the whole strike happen but she caught Magnus punching Violet in her diaphragm causing her to fall over on her stomach and began to vomit on the concrete. Lukas clenched his fists with a smile on his face growing, "That speed, I barely caught it but he activated a speed spell and an enhancement spell nearly simultaneously."

"So long as we get to watch that display I don't care that he activated two spells at once," Sienna sneered and watched Violet flail on the ground and her eyes caught something her brother missed, Magnus' fist had a flash of electricity on it. She was distracted enough as she missed Magnus crouch down and start talking too the Kay sisters. "Three."

"What," Lukas asked as Magnus helped the twins up and turned too the rest of the group as one man was collecting Violet.

"His fist," Sienna looked closely at his meaty bear like paws for hands then at his frame. "His fist was like a tazer, I saw what looked to be electricity flaring off of him, he dropped her in one punch, you said speed and enhancement, well now we can add electricity too his weaponry. Sounds too me our mid terms might be decided for your class."

"I can take him," Lukas grinned from ear to ear looking at Magnus. "Just you watch, today's men's senior fights will have me standing on top."

"Famous last words," Sienna smirked and watched as the Kay twins scurry off and Magnus stare down Violet and her entourage as they went inside leaving Sienna and Lukas alone with Magnus. The young man glanced over too them with a scowl on his face before walking back for his things on his motorcycle.


	4. Chapter 2

Sienna watched as her brother was proving himself right. The mid terms physical assessment for her brother's class is hand to hand combat in a tournament setting. Of the sixty four men that fought at the beginning only nine remained and this was the last bout before the next round. Sienna leaned on the bleachers watching her brother using his pride and joy of his enhancement to defend against this pretty well off Magus in training, but unfortunately for his opponent, Lukas prides himself in not only having a strong will, but an even stronger body. The opponent jabbed twice at Lukas' arms then went for a haymaker that flew into Lukas' Right arm as he protected his face. Lukas turned his upper body with the blow that he was shrugging off then threw a viscous punch into his opponent and knocked his fellow opponent unconscious.

This display with her brother lasted all the way too the semifinals. Lukas being the boxer that he is, he wants a good solid battle and the best way for his to tell is to take the blows head on and use his defense too the best of his abilities. His opponent, a pack member of Violet's, caught on to his display and now has been targeting anything that may let up Lukas' defense. Sienna leaned forwards as her brother took a blow too his right elbow loosing up his defense and exposing his stomach and face. The pack member took it as a chance to throw a haymaker at Lukas' exposed flank, but it was a farce that the pack member willingly fell for.

Lukas hardened his fist harder that he ever has with enhancement magic and Sienna smiled as the pack member took the blow into his stomach causing the air in his lungs to explode out of him and sag down too the ground winded. The official called the fight as the man was sprawled out onto the ground gasping and wheezing for air before finally passing out due to the lack of it. Lukas roared with triumph as he raised his hands above his head. He locked eyes with Magnus Habiger and Sienna watched as her brother's smile turned into a sneer as the fire in his eyes roared for battle.

The next five minutes dragged on as Magnus Habiger walked down too the combat grounds. Sienna wondered why there was no hurry with his steps and she noted his extreme lack of wanting to go up too the grounds. Magnus got too the edge and he looked at the proctor of the match as he explained the rules for the hundredth time today. When the Proctor finished he took three steps back and held out his yellow and black stick that indicated he had full authority to commence the battle or to stop it at any time, "Lay on!"

Magnus Habiger immediately dropped down and slammed both of his hands on to the ground confusing everyone as that was the sign of surrender. Sienna sat there mouth a gap in disbelief, Magnus Habiger just gave up without a fight? She looked around beyond confused as was everyone else, Magnus Habiger spent nearly four hours out of his day fighting the entire class to get up too the finals and the moment he was in it, he gave up! Someone growled in anger and stood up from his bleachers, "Coward! What was the point if you were just going to give up!"

Soon, as if that one man released a torrent of hate, the entire crowd began to yell at Magnus. The young man merely looked as if he didn't have a care in the world, unrolled the cuffs too his academy uniform and went for his vest and jacket laying on the ground next to him. This enticed the audience even more out of anger for the man and Sienna was going to join in on their anger till she saw her brother going for his uniform as well. They exchanged a few words and Magnus walked away throwing his jacket over his shoulder and walked off. Sienna scoffed and went to follow her brother she only caught up too him as he was at his car waiting for her, "What did you say to him?"

"I only asked why did he quit," Lukas opened up the passenger door for his sister then went for his door. Sienna knew that if she climbed into the car he would take the conversation off too a different subject so she closed the door and crossed her arms telling him a statement that they weren't going anywhere till he answered her question fully. Lukas sighed as he read her expression. "He told me that through past agreements he isn't allowed to harm a Kaur in any way."

"What does that mean," Sienna cocked her eyebrow and she glared at him. She read his body language, she knows her brother very well, if he stands tall he is telling the truth but right now he has his shoulders slouched and pauses for a few seconds to make up a lie.

"Get in the car," Lukas rolled his eyes as he looked around the area spotting some of Violet's pack members. A revving motorcycle caught Sienna's attention and she spotted Magnus looking back at them with his black visor too his helmet covering his face. They both watched as Magnus sped away from the academy and Sienna chose to oblige her brother and climbed into the car.

They drove off in silence and Sienna looked at her brother in long increments waiting for her answer. After they cleared the city of London Lukas finally took a deep breath and looked briefly at Sienna, "The Habiger family is an old family, possibly even older than ours."

"I don't need a history lecture," Sienna sighed as she leaned back into the cold leather seat. "I want t-."

"You are getting the history lecture so you can deduct why he did it Sienna," Lukas barked in such a tone that caused her to flinch in fright before looking at her brother. "Sorry, just, this is something you need to know and I am not supposed to tell you."

Sienna sat in silence and watched her brother turn on the air conditioning in the car, "As I was saying, the Habiger family is ancient, and they come from a really long line of mages where they can track their bloodline so far back that they keep their bloodline a secret past the Renaissance Era. Well apparently their family and our family have been long time compatriots, our family has loosely kept that family information in the family blood, only telling a few at a time or skipping an entire generation. The Habiger family on the other hand, well this bond is almost like a Geas, but their blood has to follow it until the end."

Sienna narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her seat before looking out the window. Why, what is the point of holding a tradition that only one family carries instead of both of them? What made the Kaur family more important than the Habiger family, "Ok so I don't see where this comes into play, obviously it's not that important for our family to respect enough, so why do we follow this, and why didn't he fight you?"

"He can't," Lukas growled causing Sienna to look back at him and she smirked, she could tell her brother felt cheated out of a fight and he hated every part of that feeling. "He physically wanted to fight, he said he wanted to test out his offense against my defense, but when the proctor called the attack, he took two steps back and felt sick too his stomach, so he had to quit."

"Sounds like a cop out too me," Sienna laughed as she looked out the front window and watched the road markers go buy out of sight past her and the trees slip buy out of her vision. The ride was quiet for a few minutes till she felt her brother tap her knee.

"It's is a cop out cause I really wanted to kick his ass," Lukas smiled wide and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Anyways, let's figure out this planning. I drop you off at the house while I go and make a few things happen?"

"Sounds like a plan," Sienna smiled lightly at her brother knowing full well how frustrated he was from today's events. She was silent like him on their ride home and just watched the world roll on by from the passenger side window. They came rolling up too the house and she exited the vehicle and turned to her brother. "Lukas, don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah well stupid is our middle names right sister," Lukas beamed at his sister as she closed the door. With a scoff he was rolling off and towards the driveway. She watched his vehicle ride off until it was out of view then a chime came from her phone. She checked it an read her brother's notification. Two hours, be ready for a show.

Oh you mean watching you take a dive, Sienna chuckled and she put away her phone and went to the front door. She opened the solid wood door and felt a wave of a sickening feeling wash over her for merely a second before it was gone and she was rushing through the house without a care in the world. She zipped past the study and came to a stop when she passed the entryway to the hallway that led too the basement then back peddled to see her older brother leaned up against the cobblestone staircase wall breathing heavily. His normally perfect facial features looked fatigued to the point his handsome features were beginning to appear gaunt. She watched him and his hazel eyes looked up at her with a warmth that she wished their eldest showed them all, "What…?"

"Trying to cast a ritual sister," he coughed and straightened his shaking frame up to turn too her. "Don't worry."

"How can I not worry when I see you barely standing on your own two feet inside a cobblestone staircase and shaking as if you have had the life drained from you," Sienna climbed down the stairs and she pulled one of his arms over her shoulder and helped brace him. She felt the sweat drenched through his button up shirt and she felt that he was Cold too the touch. Sienna forced him slowly up the stairs and it was awkward since the largest and strongest out of all of them was reduced to such a state. "What were you doing in the cellar anyways?"

"Preparing a spell for Father's well being," Reece coughed once again and Sienna could see whatever spell he cast, it sapped so much out of him, his normally black stubble that never seemed to grow any farther than a few millimeters now had a silver collaring to it, along with the white streaks that sprouted through his long hair pulled back into a tail. "It kind of took a lot out of me."

"I'd say," Sienna grunted to get him up the final step and he wheezed. She looked over her shoulder too his neck and she saw his magical circuits glow then fade and repeat this cycle and she called out as she braced most of his weight against the wall next to the basement. The first to arrive was The youngest maid the house has, Belladonna Romanov, a meek and quiet sixteen years old girl who should be considered a treasure in the mage's association for her prodigy like knowledge in fortification and healing magic. Almost right off the bat Belladonna clasped her hands together and rubbed them together causing blue sparks of positive energy to spike from her hand to a suit of plate armor in the hallway making it come to life. She then held her hands together and wove her fingers into a tight knit clasp forcing a green and yellow orb to appear. She moved her hands apart separating the two colors into fist sized orbs then reached out to Reece causing the two orbs to disintegrate into his direction showering him with green and yellow fireflies of magical energy. Thomas Neelam turned the corner as the armor picked Reece off the ground and started for the stairway, "Goodness what happened!?"

"Master Reece is suffering from extreme exhaustion and fatigue created from the over use of his magic circuits,' Belladonna spoke as her fox like features stayed locked onto Reece. She followed the night as the almost ash like green and yellow sparks sprinkled across Reece as she followed. "His body is nearly about to fall apart, if he continued whatever he was doing he would have shriveled up and perished."

"Why would he harm himself so," Neelam asked as he followed the young red head. Sienna sighed in concern and confusion as she let the two continue on with their task unhindered as she looked too the basement wondering what he was doing.

She began for the stone stairway and something churned in her stomach as her voice echoed in her head, Don't go down there, nothing but pain and torment await you if you go!

Sienna's footsteps echoed in the hall as she went down the darkened path. She looked into the Wine cellar's door and she felt the danger was less prevalent in this room. She looked back down the dark hallway and vaguely made out four more doors before the hall curved. She went for the next room, the storage room was humid and also lacking this feeling of danger. Her heart raced as the second and third storage rooms held no danger in them, but the dark began to feel crushing as she moved to the fifth room. She touched the handle and she swore she heard breathing behind her so she whipped to the direction of the breathing and stared at the end of the hall where it went left. Don't go!

Her hand reached out around the corner and she saw the only room at the end of the hall begin to open and a faint light blue light shown through, as she took a step further the world went black. Sienna panicked she turned for the hall that had the stairs but the moment she turned the hallway extended itself to a length that shouldn't be, the hallway was only supposed to be half a kilometer long, but now it extended past the horizon. Sienna tried to scream but her voice did not cry out, instead a raspy breath escaped. She saw the hallway blacken and there she was, standing alone in darkness.

A Seventh has finally arrived, a female voice spoke to her from all directions. Sienna looked around confused, a Seventh? What did this voice mean? And a Kaur, but not the one whom started the ritual. Intriguing. None the matter your wish is adequate.

Sienna hissed in pain as she looked to the source. The back of her right hand burned as red began to shine brightly converting into a shape similar to two sets of lines with that later bent around a sharp top creating two fiery sets of wings and then bay leaves curved up into what normally represents a Roman Laurel Wreath. Once it colored itself in Sienna stared at the gothic stylized wings and wreath in confusion before a new light sourced caught her attention. An orb floated at waist height about a few meters away leaving her confusion about the red on her hand behind and filled with a curiosity and warmth that was produced from the orb. She approached it and reached out her hand to touch the orb. She paused as something told her not to touch it but her curiosity took the better of her mind and she lightly brushed her fingers on it.

The darkness faded away as roars and cheers began to boom around her. Before her the darkness fell apart as there a sounded man stood panting and covered in gashes and his armor, Roman armor, was falling off of him. Behind her a laugh caught her attention as she turned to see a young and fit man kneeling down to help the same individual up off the ground, his armor and his wreath was a dead give away whom that man was, Julius Caesar. Shouting caught her attention once again and she turned to see thousands of men marching towards her and she felt fear generate inside of her. She took a step back, but not before she bumped into him, the same man from before. This time he turned to his five hundred men and raised his scutum into the air and roared causing his men to look at him, he began a speech that caused his men to do the same and gather around him.

The scene instantly changed as there he sat on his knees, arrows inside of his thigh and stomach, eye missing and his shield with so many arrows in it that it covered the scutum. As two men approached him the man uttered out, "Mars… grant me strength."

The moment the words left his lips a light gleamed and fell towards him before finally falling inside of his chest confusing the two would be attackers, but the man roared and rose his now dulled sword and cleaved off the first man's head then nearly bisected the other. His eye blackened and turned red as he charged forwards and resumed the slaughter as blue flames began to expand from his sword. As he began to be surrounded the soldier swung his sword and a blue flash followed by and explosion that muffled the screams of terror as fire began to take the enemy and standing there was the man, his one eye shining red looking right at her.

The scene flashed then shrunk back too the orb as it began to morph and take shape Sienna dropped her jaw in horror as there the form took shape of a man standing two head lengths above her and in Roman Centurion armor and a red cloth fastened with a golden wreath to his right shoulder that seemed to be part of his red cape behind him. His eyes looked down at her carrying not the fury that she saw, but contempt. She felt her breathing increase until she was hyperventilating and finally she screamed.


	5. Chapter 3

Sienna heard her scream echo down the hall behind her and her vision came to as she saw the Roman soldier taking up the center if her father's study standing inside a circle of some kind. She spun on her heel to run and as she got too the wooden door a massive hand grabbed the nape of her neck and she shrieked in terror as she was pulled backwards too the giant. He spun Sienna around like she was nothing and he slid his left hand up her throat and grabbed hold of her jaw and leaned in to look at her more closely. As his face got closer to her own she saw this Roman soldier was beyond the largest man she has ever seen. His arms were huge and muscular to the point his biceps were nearly as big as her head. His neck also carried the same muscular structure that rose to a gorgeous and handsome face that spread wide across his body face. His broad cheeks complimented his nose and dark green eyes. She felt his roughly calloused and muscular hand jerk her jaw from one side to another and she watched his eyes look over her face. She took that moment to try and slap his face and rack her fingers across his eyes but the moment her hand made contact with the Roman Centurion her hand flared up in pain as if she slapped marble and her finder ground up against his face chipping her index nail and breaking her middle finger's nail. She winced in pain as his left hand practically dropped her and roughly grabbed her right arm as she fell. She yelped in shock and looked up to see his eyes snap to her right hand and waited a second before he grabbed her waist with his right hand and pulled her up to her feet. The second she was standing the man let go of her then quickly started to kneel, this was her chance. She turned the corner and tried to bolt.

Sienna managed to get to the steps and to the top before noticing multiple things wrong. First off it was night. Her confusion doubled as when Lukas dropped her off it was about 4 in the evening, but now it was close to midnight. The second thing was her mother was staring at her with shock on her face that turned to relief, but standing next to her was a broad shouldered man wearing a black suit and a red tie. His features were familiar, so familiar that the moment she saw Magnus next to him she realized who that man was Douglas Habiger, and behind him was a beautiful blonde she knew as Penny Habiger. Third was Lukas standing in the group looking at Sienna with a worried expression.

Sienna opened her mouth to say something but the sounds of steps echoed behind her as armor rustled. She looked down the stairs to see the black haired giant climbing the steps with his eyes focused on her. She screamed in fear as she ran for Lukas. The moment she got to him she turned and looked from behind him to see his tan fingers wrap around the entryway stone and his green eyes peer from around the corner locked onto hers. Sienna watched as his full height was now exposed and the Roman Centurion stepped out into the foyer. Lukas was first to react as he charged the big man, his body glowing and he slid low, balled a fist, swung a haymaker only to be backhanded off into the whiskey table next to them. Next to react was Neelam whom was on the opposite side of the staircase when the Roman Soldier must of came into his view. Sienna looked over to him as he launched a ball of fire at the behemoth and for a second Sienna thought that was it, the man would be burned to a crisp but when the ball of fire struck the Roman soldier it didn't do anything as the fire enveloped his head and burned itself out not even singeing the man's cape. Penny slid forwards with her husband Douglas and she pulled out a wand from her coat and used it to draw a sigil into the air. A set of chains with shackles launched from the ground clasping onto the man's ankles and she quickly drew a different one onto Douglas' back. He goes with arcane energy and Sienna blinked missing most of his action but when she opened her eyes she saw lightning sparking from the man as he zoomed forwards throwing a punch at the man that connected this time and unlike anyone else, his seemed to have some effect as the punch slammed into the Roman's face jerking his head to the side but leaving no visible damage.

Anger flared in the giant's eyes and for a second she swore black was encroaching his iris in his right eye as she watched the man clap Douglas with an open palm to the chest, grab him by his black hair, yank his head back and stuck Douglas across the chest with a hammer fist causing him to gag in pain as he crashed into the ground. The Roman then turned his attention to Penny and he jerked his right leg breaking free from the shackles then his left leg shattering them as if they were plastic. He took one more step forwards as Lukas jumped forwards smashing a bottle of Scotch across the man's head and swung with his right fist lit on fire. When his fist landed on the man's back the alcohol burst into flames that consumed the back of the man. Sienna screamed out as the giant swung around and grabbed Lukas by his throat and held him high and she saw the man stand still but loosened his grip. He looked back over to Sienna then to Lukas and he quickly gut punched the young man in his stomach making him vomit his dinner on the Roman's arm. The soldier dropped Lukas then turned to make his advance but Magnus took a stop forwards next to his mother and he held out his fingers in the shape of a three fingered gun with his left hand still in his pocket. Magnus dropped his thumb down saying, "Bang."

A bolt of lightning arced from his fingers and slammed into the face of the Roman soldier whom seemed unfazed but when the smoke cleared this time their was damage, a bit of the cape had been burned and a singe was now visible on the Roman's left cheek. Everyone didn't move as the soldier remained still his eyes now focused on Magnus, then turned his attention to Douglas before looking back at Magnus. Sienna felt her legs buckle as she recalled the dream sequence and then looked at the downed Lukas and Douglas. She looked back at the Roman Soldier and she fell to the ground when his eyes fell right back onto hers. He took another step forwards effortlessly taking two bolts of fire into his back from Neelam and he kept marching forwards until Penny stepped in front of him only to be chopped aside to the ground. Sienna's mom took a step back then crouched down next to her daughter as her breathing gave Sienna a good idea how terrified she was and Sienna felt it to be mutual. Magnus slid before them and went to use something to attack the giant only to be swatted away with a backhand.

The Roman soldier took two more steps till he was looking over the two women and Sienna felt that she couldn't breathe. She felt sweat drip down her chin and hit her shirt waiting for his large foot or hand to smash her into the stone and end this all. When his knee started to come forwards along with his bear like hand she closed her eyes and waited for the end, but it never came. Instead his hand gently wrapped around her right hand and she thought he was going to torture her by crushing her bit by bit, but it never came. Sienna opened her eyes as his hand slid under her own and he took his thumb and lightly placed it on Sienna's fingers before bringing her hand to his face, pursed his lips, kissed her ring finger and placed his forehead against her hand finally speaking, "Empress, you have summoned me and I will serve you faithfully as your Servant, protector, and advisor, My class is Berserker, Mightiest of the Servants. Please, tell me your name."

"Eh," Sienna felt her cheeks redden and her heart skip a few beats as this monster of a man just pummeled his way to her to only kneel before her and kiss her hand? What is this a weird TV show or an anime that Lukas watches? She looked over to her pale faced mother then back to the others whom he smacked down like they were ants. "Uh… Um excuse me what?"

"Those marks on your hand," Neelam said as he came down the stairs looking at Sienna. She was confused with what was going on, this Roman soldier, the voice in her head, the marks on her hand. She looked at the black waving hair of the Roman calling himself a Servant and Berserker and then it began to tick inside of her head. "What did you do miss Sienna?"

"N-nothing I went to check on what Reece did in the cellar and," She paused, the voice, the circle she saw, it was a summoning circle. She began to breathe heavily as she finally got the full horror of what she stumbled into. "No. No why would Reece try this? Why would he join in a Holy Grail war!"

No, not Reece, her now. She looked at the Servant then too her horrified mother's face concerned with what was just revealed. Her mom clasped her hand over her mouth to hold back tears as she looked towards Neelam then to the Habigers. Douglas stood up and he looked down at the Servant before hissing through his teeth, "Miss Enid, seems like you need the Habigers after all. We a pledged to serve your bloodline, and it sounds like you need us more than ever."

"But," Enid tried to speak but her eyes fell onto Sienna's and tears began to glow as she turned ghastly pale. Sienna never saw her mother show negative emotions on her face, it was always smiling, calm, or loving not scared and sick.

"Its fine Mom," Lukas struggled to his feet as Belladonna began to heal his injuries, she must have came down after hearing the commotion. "We will get through this, and you heard the Servant, he is Berserker class, with his strength he will protect Sienna through this Holy Grail War or she can use her command seals to have him kill himself and we hide her from the war."

Sienna opened her mouth and she watched as the Servant turned his head to the side and looked at Lukas then her eyes. She felt a warmth emit from her chest and she placed her hand on her chest feeling her heart beat pounding through her chest. He kept his hand on her own and gently started to pick her up. Even though he was much larger than him there was a gentlemanly manner to how he treated her and she felt her mind tell her, You can't tell him to commit suicide, it's not right.

"I-," she looked into his green eyes and through the content she saw a kindness in his eyes as she realized he was making up his mind. "My name is Sienna Kaur, not Empress or any other pet name. If I am your Master then you will call me by my first name."

The Roman Soldier looked at the others and he bowed his head slightly, "Then miss Sienna, allow us to discuss our contract in private. The less ears the better."

She looked to her brother whom only nodded, "Its fine, he has a point the less ears are better because if anything were to happen to any of us they may use us to get information. Don't worry, I will be just a scream away from tearing this guy's head off."

"Your bravery is noted," The Roman turned his head to meet Lukas' gaze and he gave him a hearty smile. "But don't make threats that you can't follow through with."

"Just name a time and I will show you that perseverance will trump your strength."

The smile on Berserker's face grew into a wide toothy grin as he took his hand away from Sienna and placed his hands on his waist, "Your name kid."

"Lukas Crozier Kaur," Lukas gave the same grin back at the Servant and Sienna swore she saw admiration glow in Berserker's eyes.

"Then I will take your challenge into consideration and upon an agreed time," Berserker marched over to Lukas before offering his hand. "And wait for the time when I call upon your challenge."

Lukas did the same and Berserker took his much smaller forearm into his own and clasped hard onto his arm with his own giant right hand. He gave it a shake then turned to Sienna, "On your recommended preference."

"Right um," she looked over to the Study then back to everyone with a nervous energy. "Uh, right there?"

Berserker looked at each one of the people in the room then to the other maids filtering in to patch up the house and any injuries caused. He marched forwards silently with a march carried by an esteemed soldier, proud and strong. Once he passed her and stood in the room silently waiting for her she looked back to Douglas whom was resting just at the doorway glaring in the direction towards the Servant through the stone wall. She bowed her head as Lukas flashed her a confident grin and shooed her inside. She closed the door behind her only to blush and feel a nervous burst of energy flood into her chest as she had never desired to make decisions like this, she hated ordering people, she disliked the idea of servitude and now she was alone in a room with a giant of a man whom could easily crush her skull in his hand. She turned and her heart stopped as she saw his eyes looking at the fire place and the orange light produced made him look like a man described in one of her lewd murder mystery books. She blinked and released a breath as she shakenly walked up too the furniture making sure they were between her and him. His eyes turned to meet her own and her mind quickly said, Dear God he is handsome!

She pushed those thoughts aside and felt that she was standing in silence for far too long, "Um-."

"Would you be more comfortable sitting down miss Sienna," a kind and warm voice came from him and she coughed on her words not expecting such a brutish man could offer up such a kind tone. Almost on instinct she sat down, or more like flopped down and adverted her gaze in embarrassment.

Silence filled the room again and she looked back at the man whom was standing behind the couch and she felt wrong, she was sitting down and he was standing, this isn't right! "Uh p-please, I mean would you like to sit down, I think standing would be uncomfortable and it would be better if we were on equal terms for forging a contract."

"Forgive my arrogance but we will never be on equal terms," She felt her ears get hot when he spoke to her with a calm tone. "One Empress, you are both my Master and a human, meaning you hold a much higher standing than a Servant. Second I am to follow your commands, and Third is that I don't require rest, food, water, or any other pleasure in this life as I am supplied solely off your magical energy."

Sienna felt her face turn two shades of red before she cleared her throat, "Then follow my command and sit down."

A small smirk flashed across his face as he watched her. He finally walked around the couch and gently sat down on the Victorian couch and when his frame was fully on it the couch bent and buckled under his weight nearly having it touch the floor due to his weight on the weakly designed furniture, "Very well."

"And stop calling me Empress," honestly, her heart was pounding in her chest and everytime he called her Empress she felt her heart skip a beat and she kind of liked it far more than she wanted to admit to herself. "It is Sienna Kaur or miss Sienna."

Berserker chuckled and he rested his elbows on his knees, "You are right, forgive me. Now onto the subject on hand. What is your wish?"

"My what," Sienna was taken from her thoughts and put on the spot like going from a hundred kilometers an hour to not and told to explain herself for going so fast. Sienna scratched the side of her right temple with a nervous chuckle. "I uh.. don't know all I know is that the voice said my wish was adequate."

Berserker remained silent before sighing and he leaned forwards narrowing his eyes, "Then it must be known to your subconscious or everyone else doesn't have a wish they want granted. Either way I will tell you mine. I wish only to serve someone once more. So long as you don't set me free I will follow your every command and will as if they were my own, body spirit and mind is yours."

What, he didn't just say that, no no no, Sienna coughed as she choked on his words and her body felt hot to her and she pulled at her school uniform's collar as her teenage mind blew up into thoughts that was beyond inappropriate. "I uh, um, well…"

Damn it girl quit acting like a cat in heat and say something damn it, Sienna felt her mind trying to filter through the flood gates of her mind before finally saying by accident. "Well you do have a nice bod-"

What the fuck, Her mind blasted and she clasped her hand over her mouth. The man stared back at her with an unamused. His eyebrow twitched and a snort came out before he tried to strife a laugh but it came out into a booming blast. He leaned back in his chair covering his eyes as he continued to laugh, "Euphorsyne why tickle my heart so? Oh my gods… sorry Miss Sienna but if you wish me to bed you then I would follow your orders as to my knowledge servants can't impregnate humans."

What, the, actual fuck Sienna, Sienna hid her face in embarrassment as she waved her right hand before her. "No, no, no! That's not what I mean I- well I was honest but no, god no, I would never, wait no, I mean I can't, not with a person I just met."

Jesus Christ girl just shut the fuck up, her mind blasted once more as she tried to curl up in a nervous wreck that she was right now. She looked at the smiling Roman Centurion and she coughed, "Please forget what I just said…"

"Will do."

"Thank you," Sienna waited for her mind to clear and her heart to stop as she adjusted herself in the chair and cleared her throat. "So, I am new to most of this, can you explain some things for me."

"Well my previous contract was set up in a multitude of steps," He held up four fingers. "Wish, Conditions of the contract and once agreed upon, Noble Phantasm and True name to signify trust."

"Ok so what are your conditions of the contract," Sienna asked finally getting the last of her lewd thoughts out of her mind.

"Only four conditions," he held up his other hand and with each condition he held up a finger. "One, I serve you to the fullest. I am by extension your will, guardian, and weapon. Two, shall we fight in Rome, we cannot destroy anything pertaining to it's history and artifacts. Three, we shall not desecrate temples of any god, they are holy ground and off limits. And Four, when I enter combat you must let me fight, once my Madness Enhancement activates I loose most reason and fight on instinct. Fear not my first instinct is to defend my Emperor or Empress so your well being is to the utmost top, and two destroying the enemy of my Emperor or Empress is second. And third my life has no meaning so long as the first two rules are upheld."

"What is a Madness Enhancement," Sienna asked not sure of most of what he was saying.

"Berserkers are summoned with a Madness Enhancement prewritten into their Spiritual Core," The giant began to explain as he leaned forwards on his knees once more. "There are seven Servants that fight in the Holy Grail war, each one carries abilities and skills that set them apart from one another and can be ranked according to so. Berserkers gets a step above all classes in the terms of power due to that Madness Enhancement, but the adverse is also there as well, we can be more susceptible to damage if the madness makes us unreasonable and reckless."

"So why isn't that Madness Enhancement effecting you right now," She asked with confusion.

"Because of my Madness Enhancement only activates when I begin to engage the enemy," he cracked his knuckles. "When I was summoned before I recall that Berserkers are variable, I fought the great hero Beowulf and lost, in fact he killed me. But not once in that battle did his Madness Enhancement ever become prevalent, I believe his Madness Enhancement was actually inert because of his Spiritual Core and the history written behind him. This theory also matches the first time I was summoned as the monster that ran around had almost no will, he was devoured if emotion and destroyed anything that moved before him, eventually his own Master fell under his wrath."

"So then yours only activates in combat," She grabbed her chin with her finger and thumb. "Or is it activated on will?"

"Activated on will," He looked at his hands then towards the door. "Since we are routing away from the conditions tell me what you're are and we can seal the contract."

Sienna thought hard for a moment as she just realized that what she says will effect everything down the road for the war, "I don't know."

The room fell silent once more and Berserker leaned forwards, "It doesn't matter then. If you don't want me doing something, say it and I will stop. Now I accept these terms and humbly call you Master and Empress."

"Sto-."

"As I told you before," He stood up and marched right up to her before falling onto one knee and bowing his head. "My Empress is my highest priority. Allow me to call you this from time to time so I know that I still serve you and protect you with everything I have."

Sienna sat with her heart racing once more and she swallowed her pride to finally say, "Very well, I will be your Empress."


End file.
